Method and circuit breaker for reducing arc flash during maintenance in a low voltage power circuit

Abstract

Maintenance trip functions override the normal or specified trip functions of a low voltage circuit breaker to reduce pickup currents and / or time delays to effect faster trips, which reduces arc energy produced by faults during maintenance or testing on a live circuit breaker.

Description

[0001] This is a division of application Ser. No. 10 / 814,596, filed Mar. 31, 2004.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] Aspects of the invention relate to providing increased protection for personnel working on low voltage electric power circuits, and more particularly, to providing a maintenance trip function that overrides the normal trip function to reduce arc energy in faults occurring during maintenance. [0004] 2. Background Information [0005] Often, maintenance personnel need to work on low voltage electric power circuits that are energized, for instance, when testing circuit breakers. The circuit breakers have trip functions designed to protect the power system from overloads and overcurrents. These trip functions typically include a delayed trip function that allows downstream breakers closer to the fault to respond first in order to limit interruption of service. The delayed trip function also permits temporary overloads such as those associate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the normal or specified trip functions of the circuit breaker are overridden by a maintenance trip function that results in reduced arc energy in a fault during a trip over the arc energy that would be generated during a trip with the specified or normal trip function. In this manner, should a fault occur while personnel are working on or making measurements on the power circuit, the circuit breaker will trip sooner and thereby expose the personnel to a lower level of arc energy. Where the specified trip function comprises a specified pickup current and specified time delay, overriding the specified trip function can comprise reducing the specified pickup current and / or the specified time delay. Where a circuit breaker may have one or more of an instantaneous trip function, a short delay trip function and a ground fault trip function implemented, each of the implemented trip functions is overridden by the maintenance trip function. Thus, for a short delay trip function, the time delay can be reduced or eliminated and the short delay pickup current can also be reduced. Likewise, the ground fault time delay can be reduced or eliminated and the ground fault pickup current can be reduced. The instantaneous trip function is overridden by reducing the specified instantaneous pickup current.

[0010] In some applications, it may be desirable to have higher settings for the maintenance trip function, such as for instance to accommodate motor starting currents. In this case, two maintenance trip functions may be provided with the first maintenance trip function providing a higher level of protection that results in a first level of arc energy in a fault during a trip that is less than the arc energy resulting from the specified trip function of the breaker and a second maintenance trip function that results in a second level of arc energy in the fault that is more than the first level of arc energy but less than the arc energy that would result from the specified trip function. For multiphase applications, the maintenance trip function can also cause a trip in response to a current imbalance in the multiple phases. Also, the maintenance trip function can cause a trip in response to a current reversal in the low voltage circuit. Where the specified trip function incorporates a jumpered zone interlock providing a specified delay, overriding the specified trip function comprises eliminating the delay time which can be implemented by open circuiting the jumpered interlock. The specified trip function can be overridden by providing an independent maintenance trip function in parallel with the specified trip function. Also, the specified trip function can be overridden by substituting the maintenance trip function for the specified trip function which is retained, for instance by storing, so that it is available to be restored following maintenance.

[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, where the trip unit incorporates a zone interlock and the specified trip function is a short delay trip function, the maintenance means open circuits the interlock and eliminates the delay of the short delay.

Problems solved by technology

In this manner, should a fault occur while personnel are working on or making measurements on the power circuit, the circuit breaker will trip sooner and thereby expose the personnel to a lower level of arc energy.

Also, the maintenance trip function can cause a trip in response to a current reversal in the low voltage circuit.

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